Tasting Amsterdam

We visited Amsterdam for the first time this October and we really enjoyed it. We liked the relaxed atmosphere, architecture, canals and locals´ life on bikes. The city has also interesting gastronomic scene and traditional goodies are worth tasting. During our short stay, we were thus riding bikes and eating only and although we had only 3 days, we have discovered few very nice places where to eat. So if you plan to visit Amsterdam, here are our few tips on great foodie places (according to us, for sure).

The unofficial foodie center of Amsterdam is neighborhood De Pijp that is home to variety of charming restaurants, cafés, bistros and trendy bars, and especially to local market Albert Cuypmarkt. Here you can try local street food such as herrings (nieuwe haring) served with chopped raw onions. Nieuwe harings are caught between the months of May and July and then frozen. Before eating, they just de-freeze them. If you like to eat haring in a real Dutch way, hold the fish by the tail, throw your head back, open your mouth and let the fish slide in! On the market, you can also try Dutch sweets, either poffertjes - tiny fluffy pancakes made with yeast and buckwheat flour and served with sugar powder and melted butter, or stroopwafel – two thin waffle cookies ‘glued’ together with a syrup. To try the best stroopwafel, look for a stand with a guy that looks very much like the actor Benedict Cumberbatch. :-)

After tasting on the market, you can not missed at least two other foodie places in De Pijp neighborhood. The first one is Yogurt Barn, an original bistro concept where you mix different kind of yogurts with toppings of your choice, like granola, nuts, syrups, fresh and dried fruit, seeds and much more. To accompany your cup of yogurt mix, order one of their great teas. The second a must-visit place here is one of the best cafés in Amsterdam - Scandinavian Embassy. This small cozy bright café is very popular place for breakfasts or brunches. And even you are full after you finish your portion, you can not resist and must taste their famous cinnamon rolls (especially if they are right from the oven). They give a characteristic smell to the café.

Pannenkoeken, delicious Dutch pancakes, are very popular in Amsterdam – either like snack or lunch. Local pancakes are larger and thinner than the American pancakes, but thicker than the French crêpes. You can get both sweet and savoury versions with different toppings from slices of bacon, apples, cheese, raisins, chocolate, powdered sugar to smoked salmon with cream, avocado or goat cheese with pine nuts. You are fun of this treat, visit Pancakes! Amsterdam or The Pancake Bakery.

Another “traditional” Dutch food are Dutch fries that are thicker then regular French fries – in Dutch called “Friet”, “Frites”, “Patat” or “Vlaamse frieten”. Besides mayonnaise and ketchup, you can choose from a large variety of different toppings (sometimes very strange tastes combined with fries like apple sauce or curry!). The most famous local version is “patatje oorlog” – combination of mayonnaise, peanut butter and fresh chopped onions (be careful if you have a weak stomach as I do…). You can find taste them at every corner.

When drinking (Dutch) beer, the Dutch like eating the local snack bitterballen. These little balls are made from a mixture of chopped beef (sometimes chicken, veal or mushrooms) cooked in broth, with flour, butter and herbs, then coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried until golden. You can get them at almost every local “brown cafés”. We tried them at cozy bar /restaurant Brix which is a great place to spend the evening over glass of local beer, wine or cocktail.

Apple pie (appelltaart) is common and popular cake in Amsterdam and we found the best one, accidentally, at café bar Rosereijn. The food at this old French style bar is so so, but the apple cake is top.

If you are fun of scones, you must visit De Bakkerswinkel. In this barn-like relaxed café, they served the best scones with even better homemade marmalades. They are so good that during our 3-day stay in the city, we were there 3 times.

For chocolate and cookie lovers we recommend to visit a tiny shop Van Stapele Koekmakerij. Its owner – young lady - decided to quit her career with the goal to open the place with the best chocolate cookies in the city (if not in the whole world). The dark chocolate cookie in a combination with melted white chocolate in the middle is simply the dream.

And we can not forget cheese (kaas) – the Dutch gouda is really the best. If you like to make a stock of cheeses back home, we recommend very nice cheese shop Tromp.

We believe that Amsterdam has much more to offer and we are looking forward to another visit! :-)

The unofficial foodie center of Amsterdam is neighborhood De Pijp that is home to variety of charming restaurants, cafés, bistros and trendy bars, and especially to local market Albert Cuypmarkt. Here you can try local street food such as herrings (nieuwe haring) served with chopped raw onions. Nieuwe harings are caught between the months of May and July and then frozen. Before eating, they just de-freeze them. If you like to eat haring in a real Dutch way, hold the fish by the tail, throw your head back, open your mouth and let the fish slide in!

On the market, you can also try Dutch sweets, either poffertjes - tiny fluffy pancakes made with yeast and buckwheat flour and served with sugar powder and butter, or stroopwafel – two thin waffle cookies ‘glued’ together with a syrup. To try the best stroopwafel, look for a stand with a guy that looks very much like the actor Benedict Cumberbatch. :-)

After tasting on the market, you can not miss at least two other foodie places in De Pijp neighborhood. The first one is Yoghurt Barn, an original bistro concept where you mix different kinds of yoghurt with toppings of your choice, like granola, nuts, syrups, fresh and dried fruit, seeds and much more. To accompany your cup of yoghurt mix, order one of their great teas. The second a must-visit place in the area is one of the best cafés in Amsterdam - Scandinavian Embassy. This small cozy bright café is very popular place for breakfasts or brunches. And even you are full after you finish your portion, you can not resist and must taste their famous cinnamon rolls (especially if they are right from the oven). They give a characteristic smell to the café.

Pannenkoeken, delicious Dutch pancakes, are very popular in Amsterdam – either like snack or lunch. Local pancakes are bit thicker than French crêpes. You can get both sweet and savoury versions with different toppings from slices of bacon, cheese, raisins, chocolate, powdered sugar or apples to smoked salmon with cream, avocado or goat cheese with pine nuts. You are fun of this treat, visit Pancakes! Amsterdam or The Pancake Bakery.

Another “traditional” Dutch food are Dutch fries that are thicker then regular French fries – in Dutch called “Friet”, “Frites”, “Patat” or “Vlaamse frieten”. Besides mayonnaise and ketchup, you can choose from a large variety of different toppings (sometimes very strange tastes combined with fries like apple sauce or curry!). The most famous local version is “patatje oorlog” – combination of mayonnaise, peanut butter and fresh chopped onions (be careful if you have a weak stomach as I do…). You can taste them at every corner.

When drinking (Dutch) beer, the Dutch people like eating the local snack bitterballen. These little balls are made from a mixture of chopped beef (or chicken, veal or vegetable) cooked in broth, with flour, butter and herbs, then coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried until golden. You can get them at almost every local “brown cafés”. We tried them at cozy bar /restaurant Brix which is a great place to spend the evening over glass of local beer, wine or cocktail.

Apple pie (appelltaart) is common and popular cake in Amsterdam and we found the best one, accidentally, at café bar Rosereijn. The food at this old French style bar is so so, but the apple cake is top.

If you are fun of scones, you must visit De Bakkerswinkel. In this barn-like relaxed café, they served the best scones with even better homemade marmalades. They are so good that during our 3-day stay in the city, we were there 3 times.

For chocolate and cookie lovers we recommend to visit a tiny shop Van Stapele Koekmakerij. Its owner – young lady - decided to quit her original career with the goal to open the place with the best chocolate cookies in the city (if not in the whole world). The dark chocolate cookie in a combination with melted white chocolate inside is simply the dream.

And we can not forget cheese (kaas) – the Dutch gouda is really the best. If you like to make a stock of cheeses back home, we recommend very nice cheese shop Tromp.

We believe that Amsterdam has much more to offer and we are looking forward to another visit! :-)